پاکستان ایران اور افغانستان کے درمیان سہ فریقی مذاکرات آج اسلام آباد میں ہوں گے جن میں دہشتگردوں کی سرحد پار دراندازی، نقل و حرکت اور محفوظ پناہ گاہوں پر تبادلہ خیال کیا جائے گا۔ افغانستان سے اتحادی فوج کی واپسی کے بعد مستقبل کی حکمت عملی پر بھی غور ہو گا۔ 

اسلام آباد میں ہونے والے سہ فریقی مذاکرات میں صدر آصف زرداری، ایران کے صدر محمود احمدی نژاد اور افغان صدر حامد کرزئی شریک ہوں گے۔ مذاکرات میں علاقائی سلامتی کے تحفظ اور معیشت کے فروغ میں تعاون سے متعلق معاملات زیر بحث آئیں گے۔ سمگلنگ کے مسئلے سے نمٹنے اور سرحدی انتظام کے امور پر بھی غور ہوگا۔ دہشتگردوں کی سرحد پار دراندازی، نقل و حرکت اور محفوظ پناہ گاہوں پر بھی تبادلہ خیال کیا جائے گا۔ پاکستان اور ایران میں موجود افغان پناہ گزینوں کی واپسی کا معاملہ زیر غور آئے گا۔ مذاکرات کے بعد تینوں ممالک کے صدور مشترکہ پریس کانفرنس سے خطاب کریں گے

The trilateral summit, aimed at bringing peace and stability in the region will be held today.

The Presidents of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran will attend the trilateral summit, aimed at bringing peace and stability and ensuring security in the region, in Islamabad today.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who are here for a two-day meeting, held an informal round of talks on Thursday at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, as part of the trilateral mechanism.

This is the third round of the trilateral talks, that began in 2009. Pakistan believes that the summit would prove to be an important milestone towards finding peace, stability and Afghan-led reconciliation process.

The Pakistan Foreign Office earlier said the trilateral mechanism was important for Pakistan as it would discuss matters pertaining to cooperation in counter-terrorism, curbing transnational organized crime, including drug and human trafficking, and border management.

Tweet

چند دن کے عارضی ریلیف کے بعد ملک بھرمیں دوبارہ لوڈ شیڈنگ شروع ہوگئی۔ 

ذرائع کے مطابق بجلی کا شارٹ فال اچانک پانچ ہزار پانچ سو میگاواٹ تک پہنچ گیا ہے۔ شہروں میں چھ اور دیہات میں دس گھنٹے کی لوڈ شیڈنگ ہورہی ہے جس سے لوگوں کو شدید مشکلات کا سامنا ہے۔ شہری علاقوں میں طویل لوڈشیڈنگ سے پانی کی قلت بھی پیدا ہوگئی ہے

Tweet

ملتان میں 107 سال کی عمر میں وفات پانے والے بابا سردار کو بینڈ باجے کے ساتھ آخری آرام گاہ تک پہنچایا گیا۔
گلشنِ رحمان کے رہائشی بابا سردار کی پیدائش 1905 میں ہوئی اور ایک سو سات سال کی عمر میں انتقال ہوا۔ بابا سردار مسیح کی وصیت تھی کہ وفات کے بعد ان کی آخری رسومات بینڈ باجے کے ساتھ ادا کی جائیں۔ بابا سردار کے پسماندگان میں 5 بیٹے، 4 بیٹیاں جبکہ 65 پوتے پوتیاں اور نواسے نواسیاں شامل ہیں۔ بابا سردار کو قاسم پور کے مسیحی قبرستان میں سپرد خاک کیا گیا۔ تدفین کے موقع پر سکیورٹی کے انتظامات بھی کیے گئے تھے۔

Tweet

امریکی صد ربراک اوباما نے سال دوہزار تیرہ کےبجٹ میں پاکستان کیلئے دوارب چالیس کروڑ ڈالر امداد کی تجویز پیش کی ہے۔ امریکی محکمہ خارجہ کے مطابق صدراوباما کی منظوریکےبعد وائٹ ہاؤس کی جانب سے مالی سال دوہزاربارہ اورتیرہ کے لئے بجٹ تجاویز امریکی کانگریس کو بھجوادی گئی ہیں۔

محکمہ خارجہ کے ترجمان کے مطابق اوباما انتظامیہ نے پاکستان کو سال 2013 کیلئے دوارب چالیس کروڑ ڈالر ڈالر امداد کی تجویزپیش کی ہے۔ پاکستان کو یہ امداد جمہوری اور سول اداروں کے استحکام کی مد میں فراہم کی جائےگی۔ محکمہ خارجہ کے مطابق پاکستان کو آٹھ سوملین ڈالر امداد انسداد دہشتگردی فنڈکی صورت میں دی جائے گی۔ وائٹ ہاؤس نے مجوزہ بجٹ تجاویز کانگریس کو بھجوا دیں۔ تجاویز کے مطابق۔ امریکی حکومت کی جانب سے 197 ملین ڈالرسویلین امداد کے طور پر فراہم کئے جائیں گے۔ صدراوباما نے عراق، افغانستان اور پاکستان میں سویلین پروگرامز کیلئے آٹھ اعشاریہ 2بلین ڈالرمختص کرنے کی تجویزپیش کی ہے۔ بجٹ میں افغانستان کیلئےچار اعشاریہ چھ بلین ڈالر امدادمختص کئے جانے کا امکان ہے

The US administration has earmarked $2.4 billion for assistance to Pakistan in 2013.

The US Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, Thomas Nides, during a special briefing at the State Department Monday, said that out of the total $56.4 billion funds of the State Department, “23 percent or $11.9 billion goes in defending our now security interests in the frontline states of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.”

“Our Civilian Overseas Contingency Operations budget, better known for OCO, funds the temporary extraordinary cost associated with these missions. Using the same methodology from the last year’s request, we’ve asked for $8.2 billion in OCO, and $3.7 billion in our base budget for a total of $11.9 billion for the frontline states,” he informed.

“For Pakistan, our 2013 request is $2.4 billion including civilian and security assistance,” he said adding that the proposed allocation for Pakistan “includes funds to strengthen democratic institutions, countering extremism, supporting joint counterterrorism efforts, and protecting our civilians on the ground”.

The requests made by the US administration in the budget have to be approved by the Congress and Senate as per the law of the land.

Deputy Secretary Nides conceded that the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill s funds for Pakistan had been reduced from $1.5 billion last year to $1.1 billion for 2013, whereas the security assistance for Pakistan was staying the same. Commenting on the nature of Pak-US relationship, he said, “our relationship with Pakistan is challenging, but make no mistake, effective cooperation with Pakistan is critical to Afghanistan’s future and to America’s national security.”

Later, explaining the reduction in civilian assistance to Pakistan, a senior State Department official said that “the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill, enacted in 2010, authorized up to $1.5 billion each year to Pakistan for five years. “For the first couple of years, we requested $1.5 billion from the Congress but despite negotiations, we never got that high,” he recalled.

“Given the budget constraints, we have decided to request a little bit lower than the 1.5 billion dollars, and we did the same thing last year by requesting $1.1 billion from Congress,” he informed adding that the US administration was at about 1.1 billion for Kerry-Lugar bill, for the non-military assistance programme.

“It means that to get to the $7.5 billion of what we refer to as Kerry-Lugar-Berman funding, it’s just going to take us a little bit longer. But we still have a very, very robust commitment to Pakistan”, he emphasised.

“On the actual expenditures of KLB during last three years, the money has not moved as quickly as we would want, because of various difficulties on the ground and with the government in Pakistan,” he agreed responding to a question.

“In addition to this civilian assistance of 1.1 billion dollars, there is money in military assistance, the traditional foreign military assistance, which is part of a multiyear agreement,” he said.

“Even though we have our challenges with the government right now, we wanted to make sure that the budget reflected the nature of the program, its importance to our security, importance to our efforts in that region,” he observed.

“The $2.4 billion Pakistan budget, which includes those two things plus the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund, is a strong statement of US support for Pakistan,” the official argued adding that Pakistan, with an assistance programme, at over a billion dollars was still one of the largest recipients of assistance in the US budget.

Responding to a question about the level of civilian assistance for Pakistan during the current fiscal, he said “we have about $1 billion in non-military assistance for Pakistan in 2012.”

“It has been hovering around that level for Pakistan for the last few years, so we are confident to get these proposals approved frm the Congress,” he said when asked about the possibility of approval of US administration s proposals.

“We’re going to have a lot of negotiation to do, so we’re going to make the best argument we can and we’ll have to work out with the Congress ultimately what the final appropriation for Pakistan is going to be”, the State Department official stated.

“The nonmilitary assistance piece (1.1 billion dollars), the foreign military finance piece (300 million dolars), and the Pakistan Coalition Support Fund (800 million) are the three components of our assistance to Pakistan,” he dilated.

- Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in Washington, DC

Tweet

Pakistan’s prime minister was indicted for contempt by the country’s highest court on Monday. 

The PM pleaded not guilty to charges that could see him jailed for six months and disqualified from office.

Summoned over the government s two-year refusal to write to authorities in Switzerland asking them to re-open corruption cases against the president, Yousuf Raza Gilani is Pakistan s first premier ever to be charged in office.

A long-running standoff between the government and the judiciary has fanned political instability in the turbulent country, deeply troubled by Al-Qaeda and Taliban violence that many now expect to face early elections within months.

President Asif Ali Zardari and his late wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto, were suspected of using Swiss bank accounts to launder about $12 million in alleged bribes paid by companies seeking customs inspection contracts in Pakistan in the 1990s.

Gilani, who swept into the court dressed in a dark suit, grey tie, white shirt and cufflinks, was charged within minutes of appearing.

Judge Nasir ul-Mulk read out the indictment and asked the prime minister whether he had heard the charges.
Yes,” Gilani replied.

“Do you plead guilty?” asked Mulk.

“No,” Gilani replied.

The court then ordered the attorney general to prosecute the case, giving him until Thursday and the defence until February 27 to file documents, which will then be recorded on February 28. After that, a date will be set for trial.

The prime minister has always insisted that Zardari is immune from prosecution as president and says the cases are politically motivated.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera television at the weekend, he said if convicted, he would lose his seat in parliament and would automatically be removed as prime minister.

“Certainly then there is no need to step down if I am convicted, I am not supposed to be even the member of the parliament,” he said.

Security was razor-tight for Monday s hearing, with hundreds of riot police guarding the Supreme Court and queues trailing back from checkpoints where police searched vehicles and helicopters hovering overhead.

The Pakistani court overturned in December 2009 a two-year political amnesty that had frozen investigations into Zardari and other politicians.

The Swiss separately shelved the cases in 2008, when Zardari became head of state, and a prosecutor in Switzerland has said it will be impossible to re-open them as long as he remains president and is immune from prosecution.

Members of the government accuse judges of over-stepping their reach and of trying to bring down the prime minister and president, a year before the administration would become the first in Pakistan to complete an elected term.

“For the first time the prime minister has been charged. It s a sad day for Pakistan,” Qamar Zaman Kaira, a senior member of Zardari s Pakistan People s Party (PPP), told reporters outside the court.

The president, who is nicknamed “Mr 10 Percent” for his alleged corruption, has already spent 11 years in jail in Pakistan on charges ranging from corruption to murder although he has never been convicted.

Tweet

شمالی وزیرستان کے علاقے سپلگا میں امریکی ڈرون حملے کے نتیجے میں آٹھ افراد جاں بحق جبکہ متعدد زخمی ہو گئے۔ ذرائع کے مطابق امریکی ڈرون طیارے نے شمالی وزیرستان میں میران شاہ رزمک روڈ پر واقع ایک گھر پر دو میزائل فائر کیئے ۔
ابتدائی طور پر حملے میں ہلاک اور زخمی ہونے والوں کے بارے میں معلوم نہیں ہو سکا۔حملے کے بعد بھی علاقے میں امریکی جاسوس طیاروں کی پروازیں جاری رہیں جس سے علاقہ مکینوں میں شدید خوف و ہراس پایا گیا۔

At least eight people were killed in a drone attack in Miransahah area of North Waziristan.

A US drone attack targeting a militant compound killed eight insurgents in a troubled Pakistani tribal region on Wednesday, security officials said.

Two missiles hit the compound located in Tappi, 10 kilometres (six miles) southeast of Miranshah, the main town in volatile North Waziristan near the Afghan border, a military official in Peshawar said.

“Eight militants were killed and two wounded,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. “Militants have surrounded the compound and are removing the dead bodies.”

The missile strikes fuel widespread anti-American resentment, which is running especially high in Pakistan since US air strikes inadvertently killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.

Tweet

لاہور میں منہدم ہونیوالی فیکٹری کے ملبے سے سنتالیس گھنٹے بعدریسکیو اہلکاروں نے ایک نوجوان کو زخمی حالت میں نکال لیا ۔دو روز سے جاری ریسکیو آپریشن میں اب تک 23 افراد لقمہ اجل بن چکے ہیں جن میں زیادہ تعداد خواتین کی ہے۔ 

اب تک 16 افراد کو زندہ نکالا گیا ہے جن میں سے ایک خوش نصیب غلام عباس بھی ہے جسے وقوعہ کے سینتالیس گھنٹے بعد آج صبح زخمی حالت میں نکالا گیا۔ ریسکیو اہلکاروں کو غلام عباس کے زندہ ہونے کے شواہد سات گھنٹے قبل ملے تھے جس کے بعد اسے بچانے کی کوششیں شروع کی گئیں۔ غلام عباس ساہیوال کا رہائشی ہے اور لاہور میں مزدوری کی غرض سے مقیم تھا ۔زخمی کو جناح ہسپتال منتقل کر دیا گیا۔

Rescue teams pulled out a man alive from rubble of collapsed factory after 47 hours. 

A man, Asghar Ali, has been rescued from the rubble even after 47 hours. While rescue teams are struggling to save other lives, as the death toll from the accident rose to 19.

As per details, the three-story factory collapsed on Monday in Lahore after a gas explosion, killing at least 21 people and trapping dozens.

“The factory has completely collapsed and two houses next to it as well,” an emergency official said, adding that authorities were having trouble getting heavy rescue machinery to the area because of narrow streets.

According to sources, at least 60 people including 25 women were at work when the factory, which produced veterinary medical products, crumbled

Rescue workers on Tuesday had pulled out a 60-year-old woman, Saliha Bibi, alive.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has also taken the notice of the incident and sought report within 48 hours. 

Tweet

امریکی سنٹرل کمانڈ کے سربراہ جنرل جیمز میٹس رواں ماہ پاکستان کا دورہ کریں گے۔امریکی اخبار کے مطابق جنرل جیمز میٹس کے دورے کا مقصد دونوں ممالک کے تعلقات میں نیٹو حملے کے بعد سرد مہری کو ختم کرنا ہے۔ دوسری طرف امریکا نیٹو حملے پر پاکستان سے معافی مانگنے پر غور کررہا ہے۔

جنرل میٹس پاکستانی فوج کے سربراہ جنرل اشفاق پرویز کیانی سے ملاقات کریں گے جس میں نیٹو حملے کی تحقیقات اور افغان سرحد پر معلومات کے تبادلے کے طریقہ کار پر بات چیت ہو گی۔ اخبار کے مطابق جنرل میٹس کی گزشتہ ہفتے پاکستان آمد متوقع تھی لیکن اسے پاکستانی پارلیمنٹ میں پاک امریکا تعلقات پر بحث کی وجہ سے ملتوی کر دیا گیا۔ دوسری طرف امریکی اخبار نے یہ دعویٰ بھی کیا ہے کہ امریکی محکمہ خارجہ سلالہ چیک پوسٹ پر حملے اور اس میں پاکستانی فوجیوں کی شہادت پر معافی مانگنے پر بھی غور کررہا ہے۔ اس حوالے سے امریکی اہلکار کا کہنا ہے کہ معافی مانگنے سے پاکستان کے ساتھ اچھے تلعقات قائم ہوسکتے ہیں

According to a US newspaper US is considering to tender an apology on Slala check post attack.

A senior American military commander is expected to travel to Pakistan this month in what Obama administration officials say is the first step toward thawing a strategic relationship that has been in effect frozen for more than two months.

Gen. James N. Mattis, the head of the military’s Central Command, will meet Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the Pakistani Army chief of staff, to discuss the investigations of an exchange of fire at the Afghan border that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, as well as new border coordination procedures to prevent a recurrence of the episode.

General Mattis’s visit, the first by a high-ranking American official since the cross-border confrontation in November, was to have begun Thursday, but has been postponed by at least a week pending what is expected to be a spirited debate in the Pakistani Parliament over a new security policy toward the United States.

Pakistani and American officials are quietly optimistic that both events will trigger a chain of public engagement and private negotiations that will reboot the two nations’ frayed strategic relationship, although along more narrowly defined lines than before.

Pakistani officials say they will probably reopen NATO supply lines running through their territory, which have been closed for more than two months. The State Department is supporting a proposal circulating in the administration for the United States to issue a formal apology for the deaths of the Pakistani soldiers in the Nov. 26 airstrike by American gunships.

“We’ve felt an apology would be helpful in creating some space,” said an American official who has been briefed on the State Department’s view and who spoke on the condition of anonymity as internal discussions continued.

Soon after the lethal airstrike, the White House decided that President Obama would not offer formal condolences to Pakistan, overruling State Department officials who argued for such a show of remorse to help salvage relations.

Tweet

پاکستان نے ٹیسٹ کرکٹ میں ایک اور تاریخ رقم کر دی، دبئی ٹیسٹ کی فتح کے ساتھ انگلینڈ کو کلین سویپ کرکے پہلا ایشیائی ملک بن گیا، عمر گل اور سعید اجمل نے انگلش بیٹسمین کے ناک میں دم کیے رکھا اور پھر پوری ٹیم کو صحرا میں دفن کر دیا۔ 
سیریز کے آخری ٹیسٹ کا چوتھا روز ہی آخری دن ثابت ہو گیا۔ دبئی ٹیسٹ کی بدترین شکست نے ایک بار پھر عالمی نمبر ایک انگلینڈ کا سارا غرور خاک میں ملا دیا۔ انگلش بیٹسمین نے 36 رنز بغیر کسی نقصان اپنی دوسری نامکمل اننگز شروع کی تو عبدالرحمن نے اینڈریو سٹراس کو چبھیس کے انفرادی سکور پر چلتا کیا۔ پھر سعید اجمل کا جادو بھی چل پڑا۔ انہوں نے جوناتھن ٹروٹ، کیون پیٹرسن اور ایلسٹر کک کو آئوٹ کر کے انگلش ڈریسنگ روم میں کھلبلی مچا دی۔ ٹروٹ اٹھارہ رنز بنا کر آئوٹ ہوئے۔ کُک کی محتاط اننگز کا خاتمہ ان کے انفرادی سکور 49 رنز پر ہو گیا جبکہ پیٹرسن جو جارحانہ انداز سے بیٹنگ کر رہے تھے 18 کے سکور پر آئوٹ ہو کر پویلین لوٹ گئے۔ایان بیل دس رنز بنا کر عمر گل کی کیند پر کیچ آئوٹ ہو گئے۔ پھر عمر گل نے بھی این بیل، ایان مورگن، سٹورٹ براڈ اور گریم سوان کی وکٹیں گرانے کا گل کھلا دیا اور پاکستان کے لیے اس تاریخی فتح کی منزل اور آسان بنا دی۔ جیمز اینڈرسن سعید اجمل کا نشانہ بنے انہوں نے نو رنز بنا کر یونس خان کو کیچ پکڑا دیا۔ اس جیت کے ساتھ ہی پاکستان پہلا ایشیائی ملک بن گیا جس نے گوروں کو اپنے وطن سے باہر وائٹ واش کر دیا۔ پاکستان کی طرف سے عمر گل اور سعید اجمل نے چار، چار جبکہ عبدالرحمان نے دو وکٹیں حاصل کیں۔

Pakistan has beaten England by a margin of 71 runs to whitewash series 3-0

Set a daunting 324-run target, England were bowled out for 252 with paceman Umar Gul taking 4-61 and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (4-67) to help Pakistan achieve a first-ever Test clean sweep against their opponents.

With the ball turning again it was always a difficult task for England s batsmen, who have been unable to play the Pakistani spinners throughout the series, on a weary fourth day pitch at Dubai Stadium.

Pakistan won the first Test here by ten wickets and the second by 72 runs in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan have also become the first team to win a Test after being bowled out for under 100 since 1907 when England, shot out for 76, beat South Africa at Leeds.

It was England s seventh series whitewash, their first at the hands of Pakistan. Pakistan have now recorded five series whitewashes, their last coming in a 3-0 win over Bangladesh in 2003.

England s last series whitewash came in 2007 when they were routed by Australia 5-0.

So dominating have been Pakistanis spinners that Ajmal finished the series with 24 and Rehman with 19.

England, 89-2 at lunch, were still in with a chance with Alastair Cook (49) and Kevin Pietersen (18) batting well but they lost four wickets in the space of 84 runs. They went to tea at 173-6.

Pietersen, who struggled for runs in the series, hit Abdul Rehman for a boundary and then hoisted him for a six to post England s 100. But Ajmal struck from the other end.

The off-spinner produced a beautiful delivery to bowl Pietersen through the gate for 18. He had a mere 67 runs for the series during which he was out to spinners on five occasions.

In his next over, Ajmal produced another sharp turning delivery which caught the edge of Cook s bat and was smartly held by a diving Younis Khan in the lone slip.

Ian Bell (10) and Eoin Morgan (31) added 37 for the fifth wicket but again failed to produce a big score in the series as Gul dismissed them in the space of just three runs.

Pakistan took the second new ball at 196-6 and the first ball saw Gul dismissing Stuart Broad (18) and then Graeme Swann on one.

Matt Prior remained not out at 49 when Monty Panesar was dismissed by Rehman for nine.

England had looked for big partnerships after resuming at 36-0 but that never transpired.

Pakistan could have wrapped the match earlier had they not dropped two crucial catches, the first off Strauss on 26 when wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal grassed a simple chance off Gul.

But that didn t hurt Pakistan as Rehman trapped England captain in the very next over. Strauss challenged the decision by Australian umpire Steve Davis but his review failed.

Gul then let off Cook at 24 when he failed to hold a top-edge sweep off Rehman.

Cook had also benefited from a dropped catch on Saturday when Taufiq Umar let him off in the third slip off a miscued drive off Gul when he was four.

Ajmal then broke a dangerous looking 37-run stand between Cook and Jonathan Trott (18) by forcing a top-edge sweep which was smartly snapped up by Rehman at square-leg.

The teams will now play four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals.

Tweet